A white leather jacket can be intimidating to clean. Sure, the jacket may be full of dirt or scuff marks, but you don’t want to permanently discolor the leather finish by using the wrong cleaners or conditioners. Fortunately, white leather can actually be quite easy to clean using a gentle touch along with the right products.

Steps

Part 1

Doing a Basic Cleaning with Soap and Water

1

Use baby shampoo or a pH neutral soap. It’s important to use a gentle cleanser on a white leather jacket, because you don’t want to damage the finish. Find baby shampoo, pet shampoo or any other gentle cleanser that’s pH balanced to wipe the surface down with.[1]

2

Test your cleanser of choice. Before you wipe white leather down all over with what you think is a gentle cleanser, test it first. Dampen a washcloth or sponge with water and cleanser, and rub it on the inside of one of the cuffs. After the area dries, check to make sure the soap did not discolor the leather.

If the soapy water doesn’t absorb, but beads up quickly, the leather is protected well and you can proceed to clean it.

If the water absorbs into the leather readily, be careful. You may want to spot clean your white leather instead.

3

Rub a damp microfiber cloth over the surface. You’d be amazed how well a little soap and water can clean up your white leather jacket. Fill a small bowl with water, squirt a teaspoon of gentle cleanser, and dip a microfiber or soft wash cloth in it. Wring out the cloth so that it’s just damp. Rub the cloth all over the leather surface in small, gentle, circular motions.[2]

Make sure you don’t drench the leather. Use just enough water to clean off dirt marks.

Make sure you use a densely woven washcloth, like microfiber. Paper towels will not hold up to the friction of rubbing.

4

Dry and hang the jacket up. Wipe as much water off the leather as you can with a dry, clean cloth. Then, let it air dry by hanging it on a clothes hanger in a well ventilated area for several hours.[3]

Part 2

Removing Stains

1

Use a Magic Eraser on scuff marks. Dampen a Magic Eraser and lightly rub any stubborn scuff marks on the white leather. Preserve the finish by not rubbing too hard.

2

Sprinkle talcum powder on grease stains. If your white leather jacket has collected grease or oil stains, sprinkle talcum powder on them and leave it overnight. The powder will absorb the oil.[4]

3

Remove ink stains with alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol will take care of ink stains on white leather. The key is to use a white washcloth or cotton, because alcohol will cause colored fabric to bleed. Dip a corner of a white rag into alcohol and gently rub any ink stains using small circular motions.

4

Remove water-based stains with cream of tartar and lemon. Any stains from things like ketchup, coffee or juice can be treated with a mixture of cream of tartar and lemon juice. Use equal parts of both, rub it on the stain, and leave it on for 10 minutes. Wipe the mixture off with a water dampened washcloth.[5]

Part 3

Cleaning Deeply

1

Clean mildewed leather with white vinegar. If your white leather jacket needs to be deodorized or has mildew damage, mix a solution of one part white vinegar to three parts water. Make sure you do a spot test, before you wipe the leather down with a dampened washcloth.[6]

2

Clean heavily soiled leather with baking soda and water. Mix together one part baking soda to three parts water to clean extra dirty white leather. Dip a washcloth into the mixture and gently rub it on the leather. Wipe all the baking soda solution off with a clean, water dampened cloth.

3

Use denatured alcohol. To restore brilliance to your white leather jacket, wipe it down with denatured alcohol, otherwise called methylated spirits. You can typically find this high proof, undrinkable alcohol in hardware stores. There’s no need to wait for your jacket to air dry, because the alcohol quickly evaporates.[7]

4

Condition your leather to protect it. Make sure you condition your white leather jacket after you thoroughly clean it, because you’ll want it to stay soft. The conditioner will also help repel any future stains. Find a conditioner made just for leather and spot test it first. Don’t use olive oil or linseed oil on white leather.